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Dead Confederate Heats up Hangout with the Southern-Inspired Music
By Hana Frenette

Dead Confederate is from the south and isn’t afraid to hide it or let it show through in their music. Or their name. This alternative southern rock band is working on their new album, touring around the country with the Whigs, and getting ready for Hangout Fest.

“We’re on a three week tour right now, and then to the UK, and then we’ll pretty much just be writing and recording,” front man Hardy Morris said. “And we’re really excited about Hangout- the lineup looks really great.”

Hardy and the band have played a few other festivals, such as South by Southwest, but haven’t managed to make it this far south yet, although they should feel right at home.

“We are children of the south, “ Morris said. “And I thought the name of the band reflected that and sounded like us- a little dark, a little militant, and a little southern.”

With Dead Confederate being from Athens, Ga, it’s hard to not be affected by southern rock. Of course there are always a few other influences that sneak in.

“As young musicians, we all kind of bonded over the psychedelic stuff, like Pink Floyd, and stuff with a lot of volume,” Morris said. “Of course there were elements of southern rock that stuck with us as well- I think we have a very eclectic taste.”

Morris and guitarist Walker Howle have been playing together since high school and have managed to take their music to another level. A more worldy level.

“The first tape that Walker and I made had this track on it called Animal Land,” Morris said. “It was very loud and we just kind of dubbed all these different animal sounds over it.”

It sounds like it could very easily be turned into a bumpin’ dance track, but we’ll just have to wait for the rerelease . Until then, the crowds at Hangout will just have to settle with the catchy, current sound of Dead Confederate, which many people have compared to a mix of My Morning Jacket and Nirvana.

“There are a lot of bands we’d like to see- the Drive By Truckers should be awesome,” Morris said. “We’ll be out there, playing and sweating, so everyone else should come out and be sweating too!”